OCR Text |
Show HONEST EDITORS ARE MDAN6ER I Reckless Writers Who Habihi- Rf ally Distort Truth Make iKj'ft Lawless Press. ft't WHITE AT CONGRESS IP Too Much Freedom With ftV "Night Stick" Accuracy and Fair Play Law of K ;v" Journalism. m? I I Mi Lawrence. Kan .May 14. The hon- 6 B i newspaper men of the country are Ww ' '"" in danger from the reckless edltori I and reporters who habitually di-ioo k I the truth Isaac D. White of the Nev H. York World told the editors of the B National Newspaper conference at tbe R University of Kansas today. K Mr. White discussed the legal re- w & t ra i n t that is being proposed for lli H freedom of the press in several state B When the well seasoned journalist W hears of some new law designed to H a i feet the newspapers," declared Mr. E White, "he is quite certain to resent m! the idea without stopping to consider K whether it i uood. bad or indifferent. W H e -eldom seriously consider the 'E-other 'E-other side of the proposition that n 'm. lawless and licentious press might EL prove worse for all concerned, and B particularly for us, as journalists. W than no press at all. When we dls jb sect and analyze freedom of the pre?i JR and look up Its pedigree and see it R tried out in the courts we discover If' that It has very well defined llralta f lions, like all liberties must have, un- larder lar-der a popular government. ,m Accuracy and Fair Play. 'By "Freedom of the press Is freedom Jfl to do what ihe law permits. Tb K lour words accuracy and fair play P sum up the law of journalism, just V-as V-as the golden rule embodies the ten B, ( ommandment?. "A few years ago the New York po- lice commissioners threatened to t li V. - l away the patrolmen's night slicks be- fir, cause abuse of the weapon had grown j, up ampng a few of the men. R "The press is out of tune with pub- in opinion because of loo much free- fef dom with the night slick. We ha I not always resisted temptation ta fli publish truths that hurt innocent per ijp sons without accomplishing any jus :- j fiable end. We have not always been K fair In our criticisms or taken paini p to restore our errors by admitting out t errors and correcting them. f "W hat can we do to save the situ k H "We should let our readers kno Fi we Want to be accurate Invite them p- to point out errors Correct them t Notifj ;l1 news sources to make spe- ft. cial effort In the direction oi accuracy IF and fair play Hit the -clubbers' with your editorial hammer." , h'rink Leroy Blanchard of Nev .p ork Ity, editor of the Kditor and , Tublisher discussing "Community if Scrvlci urged his hearers to make I good their opportunity of serving their b commuuity. |